16820 version 4
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Demonstrate knowledge of plants and plant products for biosecurity
purposes
Level
4
Credits
8
Purpose
People credited with this unit standard are able to: classify plants for
biosecurity purposes; identify plant parts and their physiological processes;
identify aspects of wood and wood products for biosecurity purposes, and
identify plants and plant products for biosecurity purposes.
This unit standard is designed for people who are, or wish to become,
Quarantine Officers of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF).
Subfield
Biosecurity
Domain
Border Quarantine
Status
Registered
Status date
19 April 2002
Date version published
26 January 2007
Planned review date
31 December 2011
Entry information
Prerequisite: Unit 16819, Demonstrate knowledge of
global biosecurity awareness and the New Zealand
response; or demonstrate equivalent knowledge and
skills.
Accreditation
Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA and
industry.
Standard setting body (SSB)
Competenz
Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) reference
0173
This AMAP can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
16820 version 4
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Special notes
1
Definitions
Risk goods are defined in the Biosecurity Act 1993 as ‘any organism, organic
material, or other thing, or substance, that (by reason of its nature, origin, or other
relevant factors) it is reasonable to suspect constitutes, harbours, or contains an
organism that may –
a
cause unwanted harm to natural and physical resources or human health in
New Zealand; or
b
interfere with the diagnosis management or treatment in New Zealand of pests
or unwanted organisms.’
Plants refers to all members of the plant kingdom.
Plant products refers to raw and manufactured material of plant origin (including
grain) that, by their nature or that of their processing may create a risk for the
introduction and spread of pests.
2
Import Health Standards are issued by, and are available through Biosecurity New
Zealand PO Box 2526, Wellington, or from the MAF website: http://www.maf.govt.nz/.
3
The reference text for this unit standard is Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Basic
Skills Manual (Wellington, 1999). Copies are available through Ministry of Agriculture
and Forestry Quarantine Service (MAFQS) offices, and from Competenz, PO Box
9005, Newmarket, Auckland 1149.
Elements and performance criteria
Element 1
Classify plants for biosecurity purposes.
Performance criteria
1.1
The classification and taxonomy of plants is explained.
Range
1.2
Plant classification terminology is defined.
Range
1.3
flowers, seeds, leaves, life cycles.
Differences between monocotyledons and dicotyledons are explained.
Range
1.5
botanical names, common names, subspecies, varieties, hybrids,
cultivars.
Features of gymnosperms and angiosperms are explained.
Range
1.4
kingdom, division, class, order, family, genus, species.
flowers, stems, leaves, roots, cotyledons.
Plant families with economic significance are explained in terms of international
trade.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
16820 version 4
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Element 2
Identify plant parts and their physiological processes.
Performance criteria
2.1
Vegetative parts of plants are identified and explained.
Range
2.2
Reproductive parts of plants are identified.
Range
2.3
petal,
stamen,
pistil,
carpel,
pollen,
formation – pollination, fertilization;
types – fleshy fruit, dry fruit, aggregate fruit, multiple fruit.
Seed features are identified.
Range
2.5
receptacle, sepal,
inflorescence.
Fruit formation and types of fruit are identified.
Range
2.4
root, stem, leaf, bulb, corm, rhizome, tuber, node, internode, bud.
size, shape, ratio of length to width, colour, outline;
may include – appendages, other surface features.
Leaf features are explained.
Range leaf configuration, leaf position, leaf shapes, leaf margins.
2.6
Plant parts capable of propagation and means of propagation are identified.
Range
2.7
sexual, asexual.
Plant growth processes are explained.
Range
photosynthesis, respiration, water movement, water and nutrient
uptake, cell division, transpiration.
Element 3
Identify aspects of wood and wood products for biosecurity purposes.
Performance criteria
3.1
Characteristics of wood are identified.
Range
annual rings, bark, earlywood, grain, heartwood, knots, latewood,
pith, resin canals, sapwood.
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3.2
The wood anatomy of hardwoods and softwoods are differentiated.
Range
3.3
The features of timber products are identified and explained.
Range
3.4
cell types, cell function.
rough sawn, dressed four sides, mouldings, finger-jointed,
laminated.
The processing of sawn timber is described.
Range
grading, drying, machining, preservation, heat sterilisation.
3.5
The relationship between the moisture content of wood and susceptibility to
insect and/or fungal attack is described.
3.6
The relationships between the chemical and nutritive composition of wood and
susceptibility to insect and/or fungal attack are explained.
Range
3.7
cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin,
extractives, heartwood, sapwood.
bark,
phloem,
cambium,
Biosecurity risks associated with imported solid wood products, reconstituted
wood products, and other wood states or forms are explained in accordance
with Import Health Standards.
Range
solid wood products – sawn wood, round wood, poles, piles,
sleepers, panel products, wood packaging, dunnage, wood ware,
cane, willow, wickerware, bamboo;
reconstituted wood products – plywood, veneer, particleboard,
fibreboard, strandboard, hardboard, laminated veneer lumber;
other wood states or forms – sawdust, wood shavings, wood wool,
wood chips, wood debris, bark, cones, wood pulp, natural wood
forms.
Element 4
Identify plants and plant products for biosecurity purposes.
Performance criteria
4.1
Plant products are classified.
Range
unprocessed fruits, unprocessed vegetables, unprocessed herbs,
foliage for human consumption, frozen fruit, frozen vegetables,
frozen root crops, processed plant products, preserved plant
products, pickled plant products, cooked plant products, vegetable
fibre.
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4.2
Dried plant products are identified.
Range
4.3
Fresh produce is identified.
Range
4.4
non-edible, stored products for human and animal consumption,
herbs used in traditional medicine.
fruit fly and non-fruit fly host material;
evidence of 10 is required.
Restricted and prohibited plant products are identified in accordance with Import
Health Standards.
Please note
Providers must be accredited by the Qualifications Authority, or an inter-institutional body
with delegated authority for quality assurance, before they can report credits from
assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be accredited by the Qualifications Authority before
they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Accredited providers and Industry Training Organisations assessing against unit standards
must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Accreditation requirements and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this
standard are outlined in the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP). The
AMAP also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations
wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for
tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact the Competenz at info@competenz.org.nz if you wish to suggest changes
to the content of this unit standard.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016